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Right Realist example, ideal for evaluation.

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Right Realist example, ideal for evaluation.

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Situational crime prevention/broken windows thesis at its worst - diverting our gaze away from poverty #SOCCD

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Posted March 02, 2018 09:00:00

It would be hard to find a more blatant and unapologetic attempt to deter loiterers than the Camden Bench - a seemingly innocuous piece of brutalist urban architecture, hidden in plain sight on the streets of London.

Installed by Camden's local council in 2012, according to UK-based artist Stuart Semple, the benches are the best example of the worst kind of urban design.

"It's basically a big ugly concrete bench ... It's kind of like its designers are proud of the fact that it's anti-everything," he says.

As critic Frank Swain put it, the Camden Bench is the "perfect anti-object" - a largely featureless lump of concrete that is just curved enough, just angled enough and sufficiently solid to deter extended interaction of any kind.

"The Camden Bench is a concerted effort to create a non-object ... a strange kind of architectural null point," Mr Swain says.

Despite its imposing concrete brutality, the Camden Bench is in fact one of the more subtle instances of what's known as "hostile architecture" - a kind of urban design intended to control, coerce and often prohibit interaction and social relations in public space.

Hostile architecture takes many forms, from the overt and aggressive, like metal bars on park benches and anti-homeless spikes, to the seemingly innocuous, such as benches mounted just a little too high, to make lingering uncomfortable.

But if, as urban sociologist Robert Park wrote, in making the city we make ourselves, one might wonder what collective self-conception has produced a city covered in metal spikes, illuminated by blue lights, buzzing with high-frequencies - paranoid, anxious and hostile, by design.

With his artwork, Semple aims to break down the barriers that impede social life. His latest campaign, calling on people to photograph and share examples of what he calls "design crimes", is an attempt to document the impact this kind of design has on our urban landscape.

"Very slowly, bus stops get perches so you can't really sit on them, spikes appear [and] there's a lot more sound being used now," Semple says.

"Some councils are actually playing frequencies that are targeted at young people's ears and it stops teenagers congregating.

"When we talk about hostile design, hostile architecture, make no mistake - there are groups of people spending time, effort and money commissioning this stuff and designing it to be as brutal as possible against human beings."

"We know this from architecture history - if you start making things look ugly, uninviting, hostile and dangerous, those places start to become like that."

Who has a right to the city?

The use of disciplinary architecture in public space is nothing new.

It has long been used to control, manipulate and police the ways in which public space is used and the forms of interaction and sociality that are possible within it.

Its use, however, as an instrument for urban segregation - to separate those entitled to access public space from those deemed undesirable - is a growing phenomenon.

"It's a symptom of a deeper malaise in the way cities are used," urban designer Malcolm Mackay says.

"Historically, defensive architecture was used to deal with the enemy without - the marauding hordes coming over the horizon, knocking at the city gates and trying to get in."

Today, he says, that anxiety has been turned inwards.

This shift has accompanied a radical redefinition of public space, one that has seen common ownership transferred to ownership by strata companies or large corporations.

"What we think of as public spaces that make up our modern cities are actually private spaces or semi-private spaces," Mr Mackay says.

"The public are allowed in, if you're the right sort of person."

When Victoria's Chief Commissioner, Graham Ashton, vowed to remove the "unsightly" and "disgusting" homeless encampments in Melbourne's CBD last year, the line between those deemed to belong to the commons and those viewed as other, was put into stark relief.

Splintered urbanism

The increasing prevalence of hostile design has coincided with a shift in the nature, definition and experience of homelessness in our cities, according to Tom Baker, lecturer in human geography at the University of Auckland.

"What we've seen over many decades, but particularly the '70s and '80s onwards, is a splintering of cities," he says.

"Different castes of people that might occupy the same place live in largely different universes, so that the wealthy and the middle-class scurry between different parts of the city largely sealed off from those that are less well off.

"And I think that the homeless are the pointy end of that."

Baker points out that according to the definition provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, homelessness does not simply imply the absence of a house, but crucially, the absence of social relations that are promoted within that house.

The definition of homelessness along with our sense of mutual obligation has, historically, been fluid.

"You could go back to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century where homelessness - the state of being without shelter - became viewed as a sin, as caused by the moral weakness of the homeless themselves," Dr Baker says.

Despite a brief period following the World War II, when homelessness was viewed as a structural problem requiring structural solutions, it has largely been viewed in moral terms, according to Dr Baker.

'That sinful understanding of homelessness is something that has carried through to the present day," he argues.

"And since the '70s and '80s we've really seen a resurgence of homelessness-as-moral-weakness."

Averting our gaze from poverty

Hostile architecture, just like attempts to criminalise rough sleeping, serves to displace the visibility of profound inequality, Dr Baker says, just as homelessness lays bare our complicity in that injustice.

"I think we do a lot to try to avoid thinking about that shame," he argues.

"We don't meet homeless people in the street with our eyes necessarily, we avert our gaze, and on some level, it is a sign that we feel uncomfortable about poverty.

"The lie that we tell ourselves in order to feel comfortable, is that those people did it to themselves - we didn't do it to them."

Design can, however, be used to redress the problem of urban segregation, and Mr Mackay argues that examining the corporatisation of public space is where we should start.

"There has been some lazy thinking by some local governments that have said 'that's what the private sector are doing, we should be doing that too', rather than having a more encompassing view of society," Mr Mackay says.

He argues that local government do not exist merely to represent rate payers and stakeholders, but to serve the "broader society".

For Dr Baker, the response needs to go even further.

"There's a responsibility on the parts of people involved in creating affordable housing, in creating decent living wages, to do their part to address homelessness," he says.

If the city, as Professor Park argued, is our most enduring and successful attempt to make the world we inhabit reflect the world we desire, then hostile design should give us pause for thought.

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How 'hostile design' is quietly hurting our cities

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Posted March 02, 2018 09:00:00 It would be hard to find a more blatant and unapologetic attempt to deter loiterers than the Camden Bench - a seemingly innocuous piece of brutalist urban architecture, hidden in plain sight on the streets of London.

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Recently, The Race Disparity Report, conducted by the government showed ethnic minorities most likely to be both suspects AND victims of crime.

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Ethnic minorities are more likely than their white counterparts to be both suspected of and victims of crime in England and Wales, according to a landmark Government report that lays bare the deep-seated racial inequality across the country.

The Race Disparity Audit, launched by Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday, reveals that black, Asian and mixed-raced people were over one and a half times more likely to be arrested than white people last year.

The same group was also more likely to fall victim to crime than white people, with nearly one in five being hit by crime in 2015-16, compared with 15 per cent for white people.

In a damning indictment of racial inequality in Britain, the report reveals widely varying outcomes in areas including education, employment, health and criminal justice between Britain's white and ethnic minority populations.

It shows that black people were more than three times more likely to be arrested than white people, with black men almost three and a half times more likely to be arrested than their white counterparts.

Black defendants in Crown Court cases were also the most likely to be remanded in custody, while black offenders had the highest rate of reoffending compared with other ethnic groups from 2006 to 2014.

While overall arrests in England and Wales saw a decline of 5 per cent last year, a breakdown of ethnicity shows that while for white people the figure has fallen by 10 per cent, for ethnic minorities it has fallen by just 1 per cent.

Meanwhile, ethnic minority groups also emerged as being most likely to be victims of crime, at 19 per cent compared with 15 per cent of their white counterparts.

Although the proportion of white adults experiencing at least one crime fell from 17 per cent to 15 per cent in the three years to 2016, there was no significant change for ethnic minorities.

These figures are echoed in people's fear of crime, with a smaller proportion of white adults reporting fear of crime compared with Asian adults, adults from other ethnicities and black adults. Asian adults and adults from the other ethnic background category had the highest levels of fear of crime.

In the Asian, black and mixed adult populations, a higher proportion of people in managerial or professional jobs experienced crime compared to people of the same ethnicity in long-term unemployment, while among the white population, more unemployed adults experienced crime than adults in managerial and professional jobs.

Dr Zubaida Haque, an associate at the Runnymede Trust who has been working with the University of Greenwich on research into ethnic minorities in the criminal justice system, said the figures reflected discrimination in police practicies.

"High arrest rates among ethnic minorities partly reflect discriminatory police practices," she told The Independent.

" This and the higher chances of them falling victims to crime also has to do with the areas in which they live - ethnic minorities are more likely to live in deprived areas where there is more crime taking place.

"The reason there are racist disparities is there's this prevalent perception that black people are more criminal. We need to talk about this and challenge that because all the research shows that black people are not more criminal."

The wide-ranging race report, published on the new Ethnicity Facts and Figures website, also revealed higher unemployment rates and lower home ownership among ethnic minorities compared to white British adults.

British white groups also fall behind in some instances, the data showed, with white British pupils on school meals less likely to reach the expected standard at Key Stage 2 than any other ethnic group.

It also found:

Asian, black and other ethnic groups were disproportionately likely to be on a low income, with almost half of households in the bottom 40 per cent nationally before housing costs were taken into account.

Households of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, black, mixed and other backgrounds were more likely to receive income-related benefits and tax credits than those in other ethnic groups.

Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers received the lowest average hourly pay of £11.42, while Indian workers received the highest on £15.81.

Ethnic minorities are more likely to live in areas of deprivation, especially black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi people.

White British adults were the most likely to eat the recommended portions of fruit and vegetables a day but were also among the most likely to be overweight and to drink alcohol at harmful levels.

Police officers from non-white groups were more concentrated in lower ranks

Around one in 10 Army personnel are from an ethnic minority background but the figure falls to just one in 50 for the RAF.

The report has prompted campaigners to urge ministers to lead the way in tackling the inequalities, but also to acknowledge that society as a whole must change to ensure a level playing field for black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) Britons, as well as white people.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission meanwhile called for a "comprehensive and coherent race equality strategy" from the Government.

Meeting campaigners at 10 Downing Street, Ms May admitted the findings were "uncomfortable" and said there would be "nowhere to hide" for public bodies which fail to respond. Departments would have to "explain or change" areas of their work where different racial groups received differing levels of service.

Labour's equalities spokeswoman Dawn Butler said that Ms May had written to then Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010 warning of the risk that austerity would disproportionately hit minorities.

"As Prime Minister, knowing full well the damage that would be caused by the Conservative cuts, Theresa May has done nothing but exacerbate the problem," said Ms Butler. "Far from tackling burning injustices, she has added fuel to the fire."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: "Theresa May's decision to shine a light on this issue means she can't now shy away from tackling the causes of this inequality - including cuts to public services and a shrinking state."

Martha Spurrier, director of civil rights group Liberty, said: "The bleak picture this report paints of racial injustice in the UK demands an immediate and bold response. But the solutions the Government is putting up are little more than a plaster on a gaping wound."

London's deputy mayor for social integration, Matthew Ryder, said: "This is very troubling information, but sadly all too familiar reading for those who have been deeply concerned about inequality in Britain for many years.

"While we welcome the publication of this data, and the Prime Minister's commitment to 'explain or change' the disparities it highlights, this must now be accompanied by the resources and action necessary to make a real difference."

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Ethnic minorities most likely to be victims and perpetrators of crime, report finds

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Ethnic minorities are more likely than their white counterparts to be both suspected of and victims of crime in England and Wales, according to a landmark Government report that lays bare the deep-seated racial inequality across the country.

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Here is a contemporary example of female crime being on the rise in New Zealand. Interestingly the head of the police there argues that it could be connected to the increase in social media...#globalisation

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A spike in crime committed by women and youths has left the head of the police wondering if social media may be partly to blame.

Answering questions about crime rates from Parliament's justice select committee today, Commissioner Mike Bush said he was most concerned about a growth in young women involved in crime.

"Whether it's in the aggregated robberies that we're all concerned about, or in general crime - and this is reflected in the prison population - there is an increase in women, young women, being involved in crime," he said.

While the overall number of crimes among youths in general was not trending upwards, the nature of offences being offended by teens was becoming more serious, Bush said.

Asked about whether police had any ideas about the cause, he said it was being studied - but wondered if social media didn't have to carry part of the blame.

"One of the things that does concern me about crime is some of the motivation is actually about people getting notoriety," he told reporters.

"On social media people will upload their activities quite quickly thereafter. My concern that some of these crimes are driven out of wanting a few minutes of fame."

He was unable to immediately provide exact figures on the number of young women committing crimes. Those statistics have been requested from the police.

Overall, Bush described the last few years as "challenging" for police in terms of crime rates, but said the backwards trend had last year turned.

"Yes it's only a 1 percent drop, but it is a drop," he said.

"In some areas, in the serious crime categories ... the drop is more significant most recently."

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Social media blamed for female crime spike

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A spike in crime committed by women and youths has left the head of the police wondering if social media may be partly to blame. Answering questions about crime rates from Parliament's justice select committee today, Commissioner Mike Bush said he was most concerned about a growth in young women involved in crime.

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Not too sure if this is relevantbut found it interesting nonetheless. 

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Not too sure if this is relevantbut found it interesting nonetheless. 

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Air pollution is known to be bad for your health and the environment, but researchers believe it could also lead to a rise in crime.

Stress and anxiety caused by living in areas with high levels of damaging particulate matter are linked to a rise in violent crimes, robbery and burglary, according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science.

"Air pollution not only corrupts people's health, but also can contaminate their morality," Julia Lee, co-author of the study, said.

Radical solutions to the air pollution crisis from around the world

Researchers studied US Environmental Protection Agency data from more than 9,000 cities over a nine-year period alongside FBI crime statistics.

Accounting for differences in police numbers and poverty rates, they found that areas with poor air quality saw higher than average levels of crime.

"The psychological experience of air pollution increased anxiety, which in turn increased people's tendency to behave unethically," the report, titled Polluted Morality: Air Pollution Predicts Criminal Activity and Unethical Behaviour, said.

And the researchers - from the Columbia and Harvard business schools and the University of Michigan - noted anxiety was not the only factor linking air pollution and crime.

They said the broken-windows theory - that low level disorder such as public drinking or vandalism can lead to an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour - could also be partly responsible for the rise.

"When individuals experience a polluted environment, their overall concern for moral appropriateness may diminish, which may make them more prone to unethical and unlawful acts," the study's authors wrote.

Lower visibility caused by smog - a problem that afflicts cities in Asia more frequently than those in the West - could also trigger higher rates of crime, they added.

Thick smog engulfs New Delhi as air pollution peaks in the city

In order to prove a causal link between pollution and crime, the researchers carried out a series of experiments.

Participants were shown photos of polluted and clear-sky landscapes, and in each study the subjects who looked at the polluted image were more likely to express anxiety, and to cheat on subsequent tasks.

London road reaches annual pollution limit with 335 days left of 2018

Lead author of the study, Dr Jackson Lu, said: "This research reveals that air pollution may have potential ethical costs that go beyond its well-known toll on health and the environment.

"This is important because air pollution is a serious global issue that affects billions of people."

While noting that their findings required further investigation, the authors said the results had important implications for governments around the world.

"We provide another compelling reason for policymakers to combat air pollution," they said. "A less polluted environment is not only a healthier one but also a safer one."

A study published in 2015 by scientists Harvard University's Centre for the Environment and the University of California came to a similar conclusion about the impact of pollution.

They found that violent crime increased by 2.2 per cent downwind from areas of significant pollution.

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Air pollution linked to increased crime levels, research finds

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Air pollution is known to be bad for your health and the environment, but researchers believe it could also lead to a rise in crime. Stress and anxiety caused by living in areas with high levels of damaging particulate matter are linked to a rise in violent crimes, robbery and burglary, according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science.

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Tighter Gun Laws following the recent Parkland School Shooting 

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Tighter Gun Laws following the recent Parkland School Shooting 

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Following the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Majority of America are pushing for tighter gun laws to be in place in order to keep the country at a safer place. The second amendment gives all Americans the right to bear arms so this will be a hard thing to combat as it has become part of American Culture. However, the stricter gun laws will try and get the levels of mass shootings down with age restrictions, health checks, checking for people on the 'no fly list' to make sure they are not able to get a hold of these firearms as majority of shootings are linked to people with mental health problems.
Celebrities also wore #NeverAgain Pins at the Oscars to help spread awareness about gun safety

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Any momentum for federal action on gun legislation following the recent shooting in Parkland, Florida-which left 17 people dead-appears to be stalled for the moment.

In the wake of the shooting, Democratic lawmakers renewed their demands for an "assault weapon" ban, while President Donald Trump has pushed for arming teachers.

But with Congress predictably logjammed on the issue-and having chosen instead to tackle banking reform before the Easter recess-states have taken the initiative, with wildly divergent results.
1. Illinois
Leading the pack of Democratic states pushing stricter firearm regulations is Illinois. The legislature there is currently mulling a slew of bills to crack down on gun ownership.

House Bill 1467 would prohibit the possession of bump stocks, a relatively uncommon gun modification that increases the rate of fire of a semi-automatic weapon. Because of their relative unpopularity, bump stocks have become the low-hanging fruit of gun control measures. More sweeping is House Bill 1465, which bans those under the age of 21 from possessing any semi-automatic rifle that can hold more than 10 rounds and certain pistols with detachable magazines. Both bills have passed the state House and are now being considered by the state Senate.

Also under consideration is House Bill 1469, which would prohibit magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and ban civilians from wearing body armor-with exceptions for security guards, actors, and kids with Kevlar backpacks.
2. Washington
Not to be outdone is Washington state, which last week passed its own bump stock ban and is now moving on to bigger and better gun control measures. These include Senate Bill 6620, which would prohibit anyone under 21 from owning not just pistols-something state law already does-but literally any semi-automatic rifle. The bill also establishes a grant program to fund school resource officers-law enforcement employees who, you may remember, proved less than helpful during the Parkland shooting.

The National Rifle Association says that preventing law-abiding adults "from acquiring semi-automatic rifles would deny them access to the most modern and effective rifles for self-defense, thus depriving them of their constitutional rights." The bill has currently passed out of committee and is waiting to be voted on by the full state Senate before moving on to the state House.
3. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania legislators are in the early stages of pushing gun control legislation. State Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny) is currently soliciting co-sponsors for an "assault weapons" ban that would likely go beyond what even Washington and Illinois have so far proposed.

"My bill will broaden the [scope] of what the state classifies as assault weapons including banning more than 150-gun models," says Fontana in a memorandum to other state legislators that also refers to the "Lakeland, Florida" shooting and promises to mirror legislation passed in Connecticut shortly after Sandy Hook.

Fontana is also pushing for the creation of Extreme Risk Protection Orders, which would allow family members or law enforcement officers to petition a court to suspend a person's right to possess firearms for up to a year if a judge finds that person a risk to himself or others. Oregon passed a similar law last year; Washington, California, and Connecticut also have versions on the books.

The details of Fontana's proposals are still sketchy, as the legislation has yet to be drafted.
4. Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, meanwhile, state lawmakers are looking to loosen restrictions on firearms. Currently awaiting a floor vote from the state House of Representatives is H.B. 2951, which would eliminate the requirement that residents get a permit in order to carry a concealed weapon within state borders. Such "constitutional carry" legislation is already the law of the land in some 13 states.

The bill was proposed by Rep. Jeff Coody (R-Grandfield), who is also sponsoring legislation to give local school districts the power to allow teachers to carry firearms on campus.

"The permitting laws that we have take that right away and cause us to ask permission, pay a tax and wait on a state bureaucracy to determine whether or not they see fit to allow us to have that constitutional right back," Coody told The Oklahoman, saying his bill would restore Second Amendment protections in the state.
5. South Dakota
A similar spirit has animated gun legislation in South Dakota, where lawmakers are looking to expand the number of places one can carry a firearm. State law currently makes it a misdemeanor to possess a gun on school grounds, whether that school is public or not. But H.B. 1271 would lift the ban for private schools and during supervised school firearm training sessions.

* * *

As these very different state-level responses to the Parkland, Florida, shooting make clear, discussions about gun ownership are becoming increasingly polarized. Just a decade ago, it was not uncommon to find reliably blue states such as Oregon with relatively permissive gun laws, while "permitless" concealed carry was not yet a reality even in most red states. The pattern following each new shooting, however, has been for liberal states to ram through more restrictions on firearms as conservative states look to scrap anything that smacks of gun control.

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3 States Pushing Stricter Gun Laws After Parkland (Plus 2 States That Want to Make Gun Ownership Easier)

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Any momentum for federal action on gun legislation following the recent shooting in Parkland, Florida-which left 17 people dead-appears to be stalled for the moment. In the wake of the shooting, Democratic lawmakers renewed their demands for an "assault weapon" ban, while President Donald Trump has pushed for arming teachers.

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Bit of an argument as to whether we should focus on catching criminals or preventing them. Good for Realist.

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The primary role of the police is to prevent crime, not catch criminals, the chief inspector of constabulary for England and Wales has said.

Tom Winsor said focusing on would-be offenders, likely victims and potential crime hotspots would save taxpayers' money and keep more people safe.

But "primitive" technology is limiting officers' ability to do that, he added.

The Police Federation said budget cuts and a focus on targets had left forces less time for proactive street patrols.

Mr Winsor outlined his ideas in a speech to security think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) on Monday.

'Prolific and persistent'

He said crime prevention was "the primary purpose of policing" and, with regard to persistent offenders in particular, officers must "make it as hard as possible to commit the crime in the first place".

Resources should be targeted at "crime hotspots", used to identify "repeat and vulnerable victims of crime" and find out where the "most prolific and persistent and dangerous offenders in the community" were located.

Analysis

Tom Winsor's approach to the police appears to have changed.

The man who sparked anger among officers when his government-commissioned review called for fitness tests, direct entry for outsiders and lower starting salaries is now more of a critical friend.

The greatest asset of the police, Mr Winsor said, was its people; officers and staff needed to be "nurtured" to realise their potential; and their successes "too often" went unnoticed.

He identified two ways in which police were let down - by out-dated equipment they'd been issued with, such as bulky mobile electronic devices, and the reluctance of other agencies, particularly health workers, to take responsibility for people who may be at risk of committing crimes.

The new chief inspector of constabulary is more on their side than rank and file officers probably realise.

But to do this, he said officers needed access to much better technology, ideally a smartphone-like device so each individual could hold "force intelligence in his hand".

"It is remarkable that the technology available to the police, particularly in their interaction with other parts of the criminal justice system, is as rudimentary and as primitive as it is. It haemorrhages efficiency.

"The frustrations, the screaming frustrations, of frontline police officers who struggle with outdated and antiquated systems is a considerable matter of importance."

Police budgets are being cut by the government, but Mr Winsor said forces had "to do more with fewer resources" and focusing on prevention offered "the biggest bang for the public's buck".

But he also insisted crime prevention was "not the sole obligation of the police".

"It is the obligation of every citizen and that includes the other agencies and emanations of communities and the state.

"Parents and families, as well as schools and other educational institutions, must instil in children a strong appreciation of right and wrong....

"Prevention is also an obligation of health professionals, particularly in the field of mental health where undiagnosed or untreated illness can, as we know, lead to the commission of serious violent crime."

Mr Winsor said the biggest greatest frustration cited by officers was dealing with individuals with mental health problems.

The police were relied on as the service that "will never say no", he added, but other bodies must do more.

'Hard to measure'

Steve White, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank-and file-officers, said it would work with Mr Winsor to establish how his ideas would be realised.

"However, politicians and the public should be mindful of the fact that preventative policing is both resource-intensive and often very difficult to measure," he said.

"Falling budgets and an emphasis on statistics and targets have resulted in officers having less time to carry out proactive patrolling on our streets than at any point in the past."

Deputy Chief Constable David Zinzan, of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), meanwhile, said Mr Winsor's comments were "very significant".

"The reality is that police forces are having to operate on a reduced budget and will have to do so in the future so, if we can prevent crime happening, that's going to be good," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Most of the criminal justice costs occur post-defence."

He said police prevented more crime by targeting "crime generators - particularly drugs" as well as "hotspot locations, certain licensed premises and individuals who actually have a propensity to commit crime".

"Long-term problem solving" included working with local authority planners in the design of new developments such as sport stadiums and housing, he added.

"We can prevent the design and building of buildings that will actually act as crime generators in the future," he added.

Mr Winsor's comments were welcomed by charity Victim Support.

'Cop shops'

His speech came as another think thank, Policy Exchange, recommended introducing a modern version of the "Tardis" police box - made famous by Dr Who - to allow people to report crimes, provide witness statements.

"These would be technologically-enabled police contact points featuring two-way audio-visual technology so that members of the public could communicate directly with police staff," the report said.

The report also suggests replacing police stations with "cops in shops".

A Home Office spokesman said decisions about the most effective use of resources "including the number, location and operating hours of police stations" were a matter for chief constables and police and crime commissioners.

Acpo said: "We need to think differently to equip policing for the years ahead, identifying and sharing what helps - be it 'cop shops', public contact booths or special constables and volunteers complementing the way we patrol communities."

Mr Winsor is a lawyer and former rail regulator with no background in policing and his appointment as chief inspector last year was a controversial choice.

In March 2012, he published a report for the government recommending wide-ranging changes to police pay and conditions, including cutting the starting salary for police constables in England and Wales to £19,000 - a reduction of £4,000.

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The primary role of the police is to prevent crime, not catch criminals, the chief inspector of constabulary for England and Wales has said. Tom Winsor said focusing on would-be offenders, likely victims and potential crime hotspots would save taxpayers' money and keep more people safe.

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Checkout this comprehensive overview of issues in Eygpt, which includes #contemporaryexamples of state crimes, e.g torture in prison. It is also an e.g of a state using its power to neutralise its political opponents, & get away with deviance. #SOCED

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Checkout this comprehensive overview of issues in Eygpt, which includes #contemporaryexamples of state crimes, e.g torture in prison. It is also an e.g of a state using its power to neutralise its political opponents, & get away with deviance. #SOCED

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Egypt will elect a president next month.

Opponents have been rounded up.

Many have been jailed, tortured or disappeared.

Warning: This piece contains details of torture and sexual violence that some readers may find upsetting.

It was a family wedding, a happy occasion that was supposed to lift her spirits. Zubeida was badly in need of that.

The 23-year old was an inpatient at a Cairo hospital, being treated for recent traumas.

Her younger brother collected her and they headed for the family's former home, in a crowded, gritty neighbourhood. Some of her best clothes were still at the old flat.

He rushed to the chemist to fill a prescription for Zubeida, leaving her at the entrance. When he returned, minutes later, his sister was gone.

That was 14:00 on 8 April 2017. She hasn't been seen since.

The attractive young woman with striking hazel-coloured eyes has joined the ranks of Egypt's "disappeared".

The events of that day are recounted by her mother, a welcoming woman in a black abaya and patterned headscarf. She wants to be known only as "Um Zubeida" - meaning Mother of Zubeida.

"For 14 hours, they kept beating us, and insulting us," she says. "They stripped us, and electrocuted us. They wanted us to confess to things that we had not done like planning to blow up a hotel, and having weapons. I heard Zubeida's voice screaming, 'help me Mother'. I couldn't see her but I told her, 'Don't be afraid'."

Um Zubeida says she refused to confess - though they threatened to rape her daughter in front of her.

I found cuts on her body, and marks of electrocution... They had done to her everything that would anger God"

Zubeida's mother

"Someone found her and called us. She was blindfolded and her hands and legs were tied. When we brought her home, her abaya was torn. She had no underwear underneath it. I went with her to the bathroom to help her change and to wash.

"I found cuts on her body, and marks of electrocution. I was shocked when she told me that they assaulted her. They had done to her everything that would anger God. Everything."

Zubeida was a changed girl - no longer friendly and sociable. "She didn't want to see people," her mother says. "She tried to isolate herself. She wasn't happy like before. She started hiding under the bed, screaming. We had to take her to a psychiatric hospital."

It was when she left the hospital, for the wedding, that she lost her freedom for the second time.

Her mother now seeks comfort in Zubeida's bedroom, which is like a shrine. Everything is just as she left it last April, as if the young woman had been gone for a few hours, not almost a year.

Her dresser is lined with treasured keepsakes that might belong to a child - a jewellery box in the shape of a tortoise, cuddly toys and small ceramic cats.

She insists the family has no connection with any banned groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood. The Islamist movement was branded a terrorist organisation in 2013, after one of its leaders won the presidency but held it for just a year.

Many families of the disappeared - and there are many - are too frightened to speak out. Despite the risks, Um Zubeida refuses to be silenced, even though her daughter has disappeared not once but twice.

"I wish they would take me, and let her go," she says. "Take me, arrest me instead. What danger might we pose to those in power? If my daughter is disappeared and they've taken her and tortured her, how can I not speak out? Even if my words lead to my hanging, I will still speak."

Does she thinks Zubeida will come back? "I have hope in God Almighty that she will come home," she says.

"My mother told him not to travel," says Abdel Moneim, his youngest son, "because she could not bear anything else. But he had made up his mind. When a son is in danger, a father will do anything."

During the day Metwaly's family got a text - from his phone - saying he had left for Geneva, and heaved a sigh of relief.

The message did not come from Ibrahim. He had joined the ranks of the disappeared, or as Egyptians say, those "hidden behind the sun".

Ibrahim Metwaly's disappearance made headlines abroad. Two days later, amid growing international pressure, he was produced in front of prosecutors. He was charged with "spreading false news" and "forming an illegal organisation".

That referred to a support group for families of the disappeared which he co-founded. Metwaly gave advice and legal assistance to many desperate families. Zubeida's mother had turned to him for help as she went from one police station to another, begging for information about her daughter.

"They deliberately beat my bad leg - which was already injured," he says. "They hurt me so badly that I could only walk with a stick until a few months ago. And since then I've had several operations."

But the beatings were just the beginning.

"I was electrocuted in sensitive parts of my body," he says, gesturing towards his groin. "I was in terrible pain. What happened can never be erased from my memory. I suffer very badly from nightmares."

Mahmud was held for more than two years without trial. He is speaking out in spite of the risks for the sake of many other victims, including some of his relatives and friends.

"There are many people suffering what I have been through," he says. "I saw many people in prison who asked me to convey messages about what they faced. I can only stop talking about torture when it comes to an end."

Mahmud is not the only torture victim to share his story with me. Another young man - who asked us not to reveal his identity - described being subjected to every kind of abuse.

He provided a detailed and credible account identifying the police station where he was interrogated. He said he was blindfolded, stripped, beaten, kicked and given electric shocks. Then - in his words - he found out there was something worse than electrocution. He was raped - with a stick.

Generation Jail

For Manal Hussein and her six-year-old son Khaled, quality time comes once every 15 days - with a visit to a prison complex. That's where they are reunited with Alaa Abdel Fattah - the husband and father who is the missing piece of this fractured family.

The 36-year-old is one of Egypt's leading dissidents - charismatic, secular, a blogger and software developer.

In the heady days of 2011 he was an icon of the revolution. In the Egypt of today that makes him an enemy of the state. Other leaders of the uprising have also been jailed, or driven into exile - erased from view, like the revolution itself.

Mother and son set off in bright sunshine. Manal is smartly dressed in a black jacket, trousers and boots. Her patterned sweater has an owl on the front. She brings food parcels, fresh laundry and cigarettes. Her husband doesn't smoke, but tobacco is the currency in prison. Khaled darts along beside her - a blur in a bright blue sweatshirt.

I join them for the journey through the choking Cairo traffic. There is a driver behind the wheel so Manal can sit in the back and focus on her son. He bounces in and out of her arms, smiling but silent. The little boy does not speak yet.

"That's one of the problems of Alaa being in prison," Manal says. "I don't know if Khaled has any memory of his father out of prison. Alaa has spent almost four years in jail. That's more than half his age."

"When you were confronting Mubarak hope was a material thing... Right now it's very bleak."

Her husband was accused of organising a protest against the use of military courts for civilians' trials. That was in November 2013, just after demonstrations had effectively been banned.

Others came forward to say they had planned the protest - including Alaa's own sister, Mona Seif. He was convicted anyway.

For Manal the uprising of seven years ago is now firmly in the rearview mirror. "There were a lot of possibilities," she says. "A lot of plans and dreams, and things to do. Now it's just, 'Let's live the day today, and try to survive that'."

When we arrive at Tora prison, Manal and Khaled join a queue of families waiting beneath the watchtowers for a chance to see their loved ones.

Afterwards she says the visit was rushed, as usual. "It's very cruel for Khaled because he gets very little time with his father and doesn't have all his attention. We have to do everything in just 60 minutes."

Resistance runs in her husband's family. Alaa's father was the renowned human rights lawyer Ahmed Seif Al Islam. When he was on his deathbed in 2014 both Alaa and his sister Sana'a were behind bars. They were allowed out only to bury him.

Nothing to see here

Throngs conquered Tahrir, challenging their iron-fisted President, Hosni Mubarak. After 18 tumultuous days, the strongman leader of the Arab world's most populous nation was gone. This was the end of 30 years of authoritarian rule - or so many hoped.

Soon Mubarak was behind bars on charges including complicity in the killing of protesters. The Islamist Mohammed Morsi, who had been a senior figure in the Muslim Brotherhood, succeeded him in June 2012.

Egypt's first democratically elected president proved inept. He, and the Muslim Brotherhood, were deeply divisive. A year later protesters were back out on the streets - in their millions - demanding Morsi's removal.

In July 2013 he was ousted by the military in a coup that had mass support. Morsi also wound up behind bars.

The coup was led by the army chief, General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi - outwardly pious, softly spoken, and for a time, hugely popular.

In August 2013 Sisi presided over a crackdown by the security forces on pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo. At least 800 people were killed at Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, according to the US-based Human Rights Watch, which called it "one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history".

One of Anan's key backers - Egypt's former anti-corruption chief Hisham Genena - was attacked and badly wounded outside his home. His family said it was an attempt on his life. He, too, was later arrested.

President Sisi will have one "challenger" at the polls - an obscure centrist politician called Mousa Mostafa Mousa. He denies mounting a sham campaign at the behest of the regime, though he's known to be a Sisi supporter.

While the president's victory is guaranteed, critics say his legitimacy will be seriously undermined.

Fourteen human rights groups, both international and domestic, have denounced the election as "farcical". Opposition leaders in Egypt have called for a boycott.

In recent years the authorities in Cairo had paid lip service to the need to break with the past and respect individual rights. Now it feels like the mask isn't just slipping, but being cast aside. That's a risky strategy.

"They think that through repression and draconian laws they can get what they want - namely staying in power," says the seasoned human rights campaigner Mohammed Lotfy. "But what this does is to radicalise people even more against the regime."

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Egypt will elect a president next month. Opponents have been rounded up. Many have been jailed, tortured or disappeared. Warning: This piece contains details of torture and sexual violence that some readers may find upsetting. It was a family wedding, a happy occasion that was supposed to lift her spirits.

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2017 is was revealed that the NHS had been implanting 'Vaginal Mesh' made by Johnson and Johnson which One leaked email suggested it had known problems existed with one of its products since 2004. - Corporate Crime

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2017 is was revealed that the NHS had been implanting 'Vaginal Mesh' made by Johnson and Johnson which One leaked email suggested it had known problems existed with one of its products since 2004. - Corporate Crime

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Cybercrime - 2017 130bn stolen from vicitms in the UK.

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Cybercrime - 2017 130bn stolen from vicitms in the UK.

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January 2018 - Government's Mass Digital Surveillance Bill ruled unlawful by The Appeal Court - Example of a modern state crime. 

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January 2018 - Government's Mass Digital Surveillance Bill ruled unlawful by The Appeal Court - Example of a modern state crime. 

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The U.K. government's mass surveillance powers were deemed unlawful on Tuesday in a court ruling that could force changes to the country's spy laws.

Three judges at London's Court of Appeal found that a sweeping data retention law, which allowed authorities to access people's phone and email records, was not subject to adequate safeguards. The court ruled that access to the private data "should be restricted to the objective of fighting serious crime." The court also said that such data should not be turned over to authorities until after a "prior review by a court or an independent administrative body."

The case was originally brought by the Labour Member of Parliament Tom Watson following the introduction of the 2014 Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act. That law expired in 2016 and has since been replaced by the Investigatory Powers Act, which expanded the government's surveillance authority further, retroactively legalizing controversial spy tactics exposed in documents leaked by Edward Snowden. Human rights group Liberty, which represented Watson in the case, said Tuesday's ruling meant parts of the Investigatory Powers Act - dubbed the "Snoopers' Charter" by critics - would now need to be reformed.

"Yet again a U.K. court has ruled the government's extreme mass surveillance regime unlawful," said Martha Spurrier, Liberty's director, in a statement. "This judgment tells ministers in crystal clear terms that they are breaching the public's human rights. ... When will the government stop bartering with judges and start drawing up a surveillance law that upholds our democratic freedoms?"

Watson said he was "proud to have played my part in safeguarding citizens' fundamental rights." He called on the government to "ensure that hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are innocent victims or witnesses to crime, are protected by a system of independent approval for access to communications data."

The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act forced telecommunications companies to store records on their customers' emails and phone calls for 12 months. The Investigatory Powers Act broadened the data retention system by allowing the government to compel phone and internet companies to store not just email and phone records, but also logs showing the websites customers visited and the apps they used. Law enforcement agencies can then access this information without a court order or warrant for a broad range of reasons, not necessarily related to suspected criminal activity. They can obtain the data, for instance, if they judge it to be for the "purpose of protecting public health," "in the interests of the economic well-being" of the U.K., or "for the purpose of assessing or collecting any tax, duty, levy or other imposition, contribution or charge payable to a government department."

The Court of Appeal ruling is the latest in a series of blows for the U.K. government on surveillance. It partly reaffirms a December 2016 judgment in the European Union's top court, which found that the British government's data retention powers were "highly invasive" and exceeded "the limits of what is strictly necessary and cannot be considered to be justified, within a democratic society." At least three other major legal cases challenging the country's spy powers remain ongoing.

Ben Wallace, the U.K. government's security minister, was dismissive of Tuesday's decision. "This judgment relates to legislation which is no longer in force and ... does not change the way in which law enforcement agencies can detect and disrupt crimes," he said in a statement. Wallace claimed that the ruling would "not undermine the [data retention] regime" because the government had already acted preemptively in November by introducing safeguards that rein in police officers' ability to self-authorize access to people's private data. However, the significance of the ruling is that it will ensure the changes restricting police access to the data are bound into law and cannot be rolled back in future.

Critics believe more reforms are still required. They point out that the government has as of yet failed to address legal breaches identified in the earlier December 2016 European Union court ruling. That ruling stated that to be compliant with human rights law, the government must notify people - after investigations have been completed - if their data has been accessed and must also commit to keeping people's private data within the EU. Spurrier described the government's existing safeguards as "window-dressing for indiscriminate surveillance of the public."

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U.K. Court Finds Government's Surveillance Powers Unlawful

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The U.K. government's mass surveillance powers were deemed unlawful on Tuesday in a court ruling that could force changes to the country's spy laws. Three judges at London's Court of Appeal found that a sweeping data retention law, which allowed authorities to access people's phone and email records, was not subject to adequate safeguards.

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Walkgate - Argues that the state has the ultimate power to define 'victims', for example, the CPS deciding not to bring charges in the shooting the police shooting of 'Charles De Menzes' in 2004 denied him the official title of 'vicitm'

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Walkgate - Argues that the state has the ultimate power to define 'victims', for example, the CPS deciding not to bring charges in the shooting the police shooting of 'Charles De Menzes' in 2004 denied him the official title of 'vicitm'

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Jan 2018 - VW Condemed for testing Diesel fumes on humans. Repeat offender? Second offence on emissions? Corporate Crime

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Jan 2018 - VW Condemed for testing Diesel fumes on humans. Repeat offender? Second offence on emissions? Corporate Crime

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Radioactive waste from 43 nuclear explosions is LEAKING into the Pacific because a reinforced concrete dome built by the US military on an island to store it is disappearing under the sea,. The Enewetak Atoll was used by the US to test weapons between 1948 and 1958. 

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Radioactive waste from 43 nuclear explosions is LEAKING into the Pacific because a reinforced concrete dome built by the US military on an island to store it is disappearing under the sea,. The Enewetak Atoll was used by the US to test weapons between 1948 and 1958. 

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The Enewetak Atoll was used by the US to test weapons between 1948 and 1958

More than 8,000 people would later work to clean up these Pacific islands

This shifted 110,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris into a crater

But now, with the dome weathered by decades of exposure, it's feared rising seas and storms could see radiation leaking into the ocean

A concrete dome holding the radioactive waste of 43 nuclear explosions is leaking into the ocean, veterans have warned.

The Enewetak Atoll was used by the US government to test 30 megatons of weapons - equivalent to 2,000 Hiroshima blasts - between 1948 and 1958.

More than 8,000 people, including US troops, would later work to clean up these Pacific islands, shifting 110,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris into a blast crater.

This 30-foot-deep crater on Runit Island would then be entombed in a concrete dome, 350 feet across and 16 inches thick.

But now, with the dome weathered by decades of exposure, it's feared that rising seas and storms could see radiation leaking into the ocean.

And many of the troops who headed to the middle of the Pacific Ocean to clean up the fallout from nuclear tests, often without protective gear, between 1977 and 1979, are now plagued with health issues as a result - with the US government refusing to pay for the care.

Paul Griego, who took part in the cleanup and blames the radiation for a host of health problems, said the dome was never fit for purpose.

He said: 'We were given an impossible task - cleaning up the radioactive fallout from 43 nuclear bombs.

'When I first arrived, the dome's blast crater was open to the ocean - it continued to be full of sea water even after it was sealed off from the ocean.

'During my 10-hour work day I witnessed the water level in the crater rise and lower as the tide came in and out.'

He continued: 'No attempt was made to drain the crater or line it before the radioactive waste was dumped into it.

'The coral that created the island is porous and the shock from numerous nuclear weapon tests had also fractured the coral.

'From the first day forward, the water has flowed out of the lagoon with the tide, creating a gigantic radioactive toilet that is flushed about twice each day into the Pacific Ocean.'

The storms were only making matters worse, he said.

'I experienced the power of a typhoon while I was on Enewetak,' he added. 'I believe the dome could be just one typhoon away from a breach.'

Rama Schneider, who drove radioactive waste from island to island in an amphibious vehicle during the cleanup, said it was no surprise that the dome was failing.

He said: 'Standing on any island at that atoll is akin to standing inches above sea level - and that was in 1979.

'The sea level and ground level are becoming more and more to be the same, and it doesn't matter if we're talking sea level rise, land subsidence or both.

'Water will always win out over man-made objects.'

Girard Frank Bolton III, who worked as a draughtsman during his 14 months on the atoll and drew the construction documents for the dome, insisted the damage to the structure was minimal.

Yet he agreed that radiation was nonetheless being washed out of the crater, into the lagoon and ultimately, into the ocean.

'The dome was designed to slow the migration of radiation not to completely stop it,' he said.

'Also, since concrete is porous, the wave action and tides are continuously pumping radioactive water in and out of the structure.'

Now the veterans are pushing the US government to help with their radiation-related health woes.

It's clear that workers were given inadequate protection from photos of the cleanup, which show them labouring shirtless and with basic tools.

Mr Griego, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, says chronic intestinal disease, beryllium poisoning, weak bones and fertility issues are among the legacies of his service.

'The entire time I was there I never saw anyone wearing a hazmat suit,' he said.

'We were not provided any radiation safety gear - not even a pair of ordinary garden gloves - and we collected the toxic soil samples mostly with our bare hands.'

He continued: 'With reasonable certainty we believe the failed mission has already taken the lives of thousands of the atomic cleanup workers.

'Within our survivor group we lose six to eight men each year to cancer and other radiation-related illnesses.'

Mr Bolton, from Mobile, Alabama, blames the radiation for his arthritis, calcium bone loss, Barrett's esophagus, diverticular disease, high blood pressure, and neuropathy.

He added: 'Of our 8033 mission participants, only 600 have been accounted for.

'35 of those are deceased, 11 died after our group was founded and about half of our group believe we have health challenges from our mission at Enewetak Atoll.'

Experts agree that the degree of danger posed by the Enewetak radiation is dependent on how much escapes and is ingested.

Professor Francis Livens of the University of Manchester's Dalton Nuclear Institute said that a number of factors, such as the radiation being dispersed, could mean the hazard is low.

'But if radioactivity is efficiently released and transported into food or water, or gives rise to exposure by some other means, then the hazard is relatively high,' he continued.

Professor Patrick Regan, a radiation expert with the University of Surrey, said the main health risk was likely to be stochastic - meaning an increase in one's lifetime risk of developing a cancer.

'The units we used for radiation exposure are called sieverts,' he said. 'One sievert across the whole body won't kill you but it will give you radiation syndrome.

'It's supposed to increase your biological risk of getting cancer by about 5 per cent.'

However, he added, it would be impossible to tell whose cancer developed because of their exposure and whose would have developed anyway.

'The problem is that you cannot differentiate those people from the rest of the population,' he said.

'You cannot say that there are this many people, that many of them would get cancer anyway and one additional one would get cancer because of their exposure - because you couldn't tell which one it was.'

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Concrete dome holding radioactive waste is LEAKING

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The Enewetak Atoll was used by the US to test weapons between 1948 and 1958 More than 8,000 people would later work to clean up these Pacific islands This shifted 110,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris into a crater But now, with the dome weathered by decades of exposure, it's feared rising seas and storms could see radiation leaking into the ocean A concrete dome holding the radioactive waste of 43 nuclear explosions is leaking into the ocean, veterans have warned.

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Feb 2018 - Thames Valley and North Yorkshire police forces graded as 'inadequate' in an inspection for failing to record offences.

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Thousands of reported crimes including rape and domestic abuse are going unrecorded by police, a watchdog has warned.

The shortcomings mean victims are being failed, inspectors said. Two forces - Thames Valley and North Yorkshire - were singled out for their "inadequate" crime recording by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The assessment of Thames Valley found that nearly one in five offences (19.6%) were not being properly recorded, which equates to approximately 35,200 crimes a year.

Crimes that are going unrecorded by the force include sexual offences, domestic abuse and rape.

Zoe Billingham, the inspector of the constabulary, said she was "disappointed" with the quality of crime recording in Thames Valley, but that she was satisfied the force works hard to ensure victims of crime are safeguarded.

She said: "It now needs to ensure that it records crimes at the earliest opportunity, and that there is proper supervision of crime-recording decisions."

The report on North Yorkshire estimated that the force fails to record 9,200 reported crimes a year, also including sexual offences, domestic abuse and rape.

North Yorkshire's inspector of constabulary, Matt Parr, said the police had implemented most of the recommendations from their 2014 report, adding they still found plenty of room for improvement.

He said: "As it stands today, we estimate almost one in five crimes in North Yorkshire are not properly recorded. This is simply inexcusable.

"The force has robust processes in place to ensure the safeguarding of victims of these crimes, but too many offences continue to go unrecorded and therefore not investigated properly."

He added that North Yorkshire police were "potentially depriving victims of the services and justice to which they are entitled".

Thames Valley police said they accepted the findings and will be addressing the concerns raised.

John Campbell, the force's deputy chief constable, said: "This reports makes for unwelcome reading especially for a force that performs so well when measured in terms of our effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy."

He added he was pleased the watchdog confirmed they found no issues of unethical behaviour.

"I can assure the communities of Thames Valley that every day, every officer is working hard to keep you safe from harm and to protect victims of crime," he said.

Lisa Winward, the deputy chief constable of North Yorkshire police, acknowledged the force needs to do "much better".

She said: "Based on its inspection last year, HMICFRS found that although our officers and staff are focused on the needs of victims, our administration is letting us down, and we are not recording all crimes as we should. That must change, and we have already started to make improvements."

The findings are the latest from a series of rolling inspections looking at the crime data "integrity" of every police force in England and Wales.

Inspectors launched the programme in November 2015 after finding the national average of under-recording of crimes stood at an "inexcusably poor" 19%.
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Police failing to record thousands of crimes, including rape

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Thousands of reported crimes including rape and domestic abuse are going unrecorded by police, a watchdog has warned. The shortcomings mean victims are being failed, inspectors said. Two forces - Thames Valley and North Yorkshire - were singled out for their "inadequate" crime recording by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

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2017/2018 - A genocide is underway in Rohingya. Mass murder of civilians by government troops. The western world is yet to act.

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A stark warning from the UN in mid-December that genocide may be taking place in Myanmar has been met by an awkward silence around the world, indicating a limited appetite for forceful humanitarian intervention, even in the most extreme cases.

The persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority is beginning to resemble the plight of the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994, albeit on a smaller scale. After failing to stop the Rwanda slaughter, when up to 1 million people died, the international community vowed it would never happen again. Now, it seems, the nightmare is back.

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, the UN high commissioner for human rights, previously described systematic attacks on the Rohingya by Myanmar's military and civilian militias as ethnic cleansing, an assessment shared by the US.

But in a BBC interview last month, Hussein went a big step further. "You cannot rule out the possibility that acts of genocide have been committed ... It wouldn't surprise me in the future if the court were to make such a finding on the basis of what we see."

The embarrassed silence that greeted his remarks reflects the fact that there is zero support for direct action in Myanmar. The concept of forceful humanitarian intervention, formulated in a celebrated speech in Chicago in 1999 by Tony Blair - and implemented in Kosovo, Sierra Leone and East Timor - is blown.

The disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, justified on moral and humanitarian grounds after the WMD argument imploded, discredited the "Blair doctrine".

Now the pendulum has swung the other way. Myanmar's generals are not alone in their impunity. In Yemen, which Boris Johnson, Britain's foreign secretary, terms "the world's worst humanitarian crisis", Saudi forces are accused of causing large-scale civilian casualties, and of illegally blocking aid as a weapon of war.

A similar situation exists in Syria. Bashar al-Assad, the country's president, has been widely accused of war crimes. But after six years of murderous mayhem, he still sits tight in Damascus.

Lack of political will is only one reason why the international community appears powerless to halt mass killings. Hussein's prediction that Myanmar's nominal leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and its top general, Min Aung Hlaing, could end up before a court was presumably a reference to the international criminal court, founded under UN auspices in 2002 and backed by 123 states out of a possible 195. The ICC is the world's criminal court of last resort, charged with investigating and prosecuting individuals responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But Myanmar, like Syria and Yemen, is not a party to the ICC and lies outside its jurisdiction. The only way its leaders could face a judicial reckoning would be if the UN security council referred them to the ICC. This is not going to happen because China, a permanent member and Myanmar's close commercial and political ally, would veto any such move. Likewise, Assad is protected by Russia, which has strategic interests in Syria.

The ICC has enjoyed limited success since its inception, in large part because major powers such as the US, China, Russia and India reject its jurisdiction, ostensibly on grounds of national sovereignty - although the US supports the court when it suits its purposes overseas. The ICC has also been weakened by member countries refusing to enforce its statute.

The most notorious case concerns Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president accused of genocide in Darfur. When Bashir visited South Africa in 2015, Jacob Zuma's government ignored its legal obligation to arrest him. Following criticism of its behaviour, South Africa and other African members have threatened to quit the ICC.

Leading countries with the capacity to make a difference in places such as Myanmar or, for example, war-torn South Sudan, are also frequently guilty of failing to uphold international treaties, human rights conventions and resolutions which they previously signed up to through the UN system.

A total of 143 countries backed the convention on the prevention and punishment of genocide, adopted by the UN general assembly in 1948. At the time, the Holocaust was still a recent event. But memories fade and so, too, it seems, does political resolve.

A more recent, egregious example of international backsliding is the failure to honour the principle of the collective "responsibility to protect". Shamed by the failures in Rwanda and the Balkans in the 1990s, a UN world summit meeting in 2005 agreed all countries have shared responsibility to prevent and respond to the most serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

The summit agreed that the principle of state sovereignty carried with it the obligation of the state to protect its own citizens. If a state was unable or unwilling to do so, the international community was empowered to act.

In Myanmar, where about 870,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee to Bangladesh and up to 10,000 people have been killed so far, their government has not only failed to protect them. It also appears directly culpable.

This is precisely the sort of situation the 2005 UN declaration was intended to prevent. And it promised, if and when such crises occurred, that member states would take "timely and decisive action, in accordance with the UN charter". All over the world, this solemn promise is being broken on a daily basis.

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World's awkward silence over Rohingya genocide warnings

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A stark warning from the UN in mid-December that genocide may be taking place in Myanmar has been met by an awkward silence around the world, indicating a limited appetite for forceful humanitarian intervention, even in the most extreme cases.

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2018 - Peadophile Mathew Falder jailed following conviction for 137 offences against 46 people, using the dark web. Example of increased cybercrime due to globalisation.

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A "warped and sadistic" paedophile who blackmailed victims and shared abuse tips and images on the dark web has been jailed for 32 years.

Cambridge graduate Matthew Falder, 29, admitted 137 charges - including rape - against 46 people, some of whom were in court to see him jailed.

He coerced victims into acts including licking toilet seats and self-harming.

At Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Philip Parker QC labelled Falder an "internet highwayman" with a "lust to control".

The former geophysics researcher at the University of Birmingham will spend a further six years on licence when he is released from prison.

The court heard Falder, who lived in Edgbaston, had no previous convictions and excelled at school, where he was described as "one of the finest students with an international impact".

However, his offending lasted nearly 10 years and became "increasingly menacing", Judge Parker said.

Victims described how they "will never get over" what happened to them.

Others described how they feel "dirty, like used goods" since their interactions with Falder.

One mother, who was duped into sending Falder images of her daughter, said: "I feel as if I failed my daughter massively by being too trusting.

"That will never go away, and it is something I have to live with and struggle with the guilt for the rest of my life.

"I am carrying the weight of what happened on my shoulders daily and its been exhausting."

Phil Mackie, in court for BBC news

In 25 years as a reporter covering countless trials I have never heard evidence so sickening.

Matthew Falder never showed any emotion during the three-and-a-half days of sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court, but for the brave few victims who faced their tormentor during sentencing, it was hard to contain their tears.

Hardened investigators were also visibly upset as some of the evidence was read out. Those who suffered extreme abuse and degradation say they are still suffering the impact of what he made them do, but it's hoped that the knowledge he's behind bars will begin to ease their nightmares.

Four of Falder's victims attempted suicide.

Falder duped victims on Gumtree, then immediately moved them away from the website's servers and on to email.

This meant he could maintain anonymity to his victims, demanding increasingly depraved images.

'Lick toilet seats'

Once he had compromising images of his victims, Falder told them to send him more material or he would share images with their friends and family.

He forced victims to lick toilet seats and eat dog food and then posted the images on "hurtcore" websites, described as hidden forums on the dark web dedicated to sharing images and videos of rape, torture, paedophilia and degradation.

Some of the posts Falder made to these websites included: "Glad you are all enjoying her suffering" and "I love blackmail, especially forcing someone met online to do things they don't want to for amusement".

In one post, he described what he had made his victims do: "I have had a few push pins into themselves, sometimes to attach signs, and had one victim stand on them in bare feet."

The court heard how, because of the images he provided on dark web forums, he was given "VIP status" on the sites. A total of 484 images were found on Falder's computer after his arrest.

He evaded capture for so long by using heavily encrypted email addresses, which he obtained through Russian email services.

Falder was eventually caught by an international global taskforce, involving security services from Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

The University of Cambridge said it was "actively pursuing" stripping Falder of his academic qualifications and could not say if that had ever happened before.

The investigation to catch him began in August 2013 when the FBI began looking into dark web paedophilia sites, identifying a user known as "Inthegarden" and passing files to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

This was the start of a four-year operation which saw law enforcement seek to identify Inthegarden, and eventually linking Falder to the username along with others "evilmind" and "666devil".

Scott Crabb, of US Homeland Security said: "There's some closure to be had with a sentence like this.

"I've just never seen anything like this, where someone is willing to go to these lengths to torment people.

"It's testament to the NCA who stuck with it for all these years, to ultimately catch him."

Investigation timeline

August 2013 - FBI begins its investigation into dark web paedophilia sites, identifying user known as Inthegarden and passing files to the NCA.

April 2015 - The NCA investigate 666devil with "daughter" icon posting on a dark web forum. Officers discover links between 666devil, evilmind and Inthegarden while seeking to "safeguard" the girl.

August 2015 - Suspect's webmail accounts are accessed, identifying the girl in his profile and further US victims. Taskforce set up between NCA, GCHQ, Homeland Security, Europol and Australian Federal Police.

March 2017 - "Person of interest" identified at an address in Birmingham.

April 2017 - Falder identified as the suspect.

June 2017 - Falder arrested while at work at the University of Birmingham. Devices seized and Edgbaston home raided. Three days of questioning reveals Falder is behind 666devil.

June to October 2017 - Falder admits to and is charged with 137 offences. A further 51 remain on file.

Will Kerr, director of vulnerabilities for the NCA, said: "At one point there were 100 investigators working on this case using the broadest range of new covert capabilities to try and identify and catch him.

"It's a bit of a watershed moment this investigation for policing."

Prosecutor Ruona Iguyovwe, said: "These things are repulsive.

"The sentencing is a very strong reminder to people if they abuse children, no stone will be left unturned in finding them."

A spokesman for Gumtree said they welcomed Falder's conviction for the "appalling offences", adding the site took "the safety of our users extremely seriously".

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A "warped and sadistic" paedophile who blackmailed victims and shared abuse tips and images on the dark web has been jailed for 32 years. Cambridge graduate Matthew Falder, 29, admitted 137 charges - including rape - against 46 people, some of whom were in court to see him jailed.